Modern phones can provide location information via a map application. The view of a map is typically a top down view (i.e., an overhead view) of a grid of streets. The top down view may also provide a satellite image. When a user is at a particular view of a map, the user may wish to have a three dimensional (3D) view. The 3D view can be provided from a perspective of a virtual camera. Typically, the position of the virtual camera is specified via a touchscreen interface through gestures (i.e., a touch, a drag, a rotation, etc.).